


A Sky so Full of Stars

by paperxcrowns



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Neglect, Comfort, Emotional Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Kidnapping, Light Angst, Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Moonstone, Rapunzel and Varian are Siblings (Disney), Sundrop - Freeform, all from gothel, also like ruddiger and pascal are the best, also team awesome is a thing, and we get a bit of demanitus too, except gothel, i stan team awesome, lots of magic too, rapunzel and varian have the best sibling energy, rapunzel is the best older sister, surprise adoption from gothel i guess, they all need therapy tbh, this seemed like a good idea at 2am, we get alchemy yall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23949463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperxcrowns/pseuds/paperxcrowns
Summary: Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel as an infant and, four years later, hears about Varian's moonstone powers and kidnaps him too. And so Varian and Rapunzel grew up together in a tower away from everything, and made-do with the boredom, until Flynn Rider, thief extraordinaire, shows up in the tower. This starts the siblings' process of questioning everything their mother ever told them, and coming face to face with truths they may not be ready for.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 284





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> im back on my bullshit. quarantine seems like a GREAT time to take up writing fanfics again.

Gothel had spent years studying the sundrop and moonstone under Demanitus. It had been so long ago and she’d been such a different person. But with all this knowledge, they were only supposed to protect them, not use the powers. But Gothel never found a point to protect power without using it. Power like that should be used. Demanitus had told her this flaw would be downfall, her search for power, to keep it to herself. Of course, she hadn’t listened. He was long gone and no one knew about the sundrop, and it would be no one’s problem if she used its power. Its healing abilities never failed her, and for centuries she’d cheated death, and pretty much everything else. 

That had stopped mattering, the people she hurt. They would wither and die and she would not. As it went with her. And she’d built herself a nice tower in a hidden glen deep in the twisting woods surrounding Corona. The spells were simply precaution, as Demanitus had never trusted her enough to teach her anything other than small charms. Then, he had not been wrong to not trust her. 

And for years, centuries, millenia, she’d kept her secret safe. The flower was hers and hers alone. Anyone who came too close she had to take care of. She’d contemplated seeking out the moonstone, but the Brotherhood were guarding it too well and it was a slip up she could not afford. Even though they were disbanded now, one lived in Old Corona and she could not raise suspicion. She watched him attentively, the biggest threat to her secret for a decade, but he seemed unaware of how close the sundrop seemed to be. But Gothel knew he was close to the king and it was an alliance she would not ignore.

She did wish she could wield its power. She’d heard only what Demanitus had recounted to her, its power of destruction and decay that could destroy entire villages, quite a polar opposite to the sundrop’s healing. But together, they were much more powerful, nearly unstoppable. It did not matter, the Brotherhood would decay, kings and castles crumble, and she’d walk among the remains to claim its power.

What she did not take into account was that night. That night everything went wrong. She should have taken care of that Brotherhood wretch when she first got wind of his presence in the kingdom of Corona. She had gotten too arrogant, and he’d blabbed about the sundrop to the king. It was the only explanation she could find as to why Corona guards had come and dug up her flower. She scowled, hidden behind the shadow of the trees, observing the guards, calculating her options. She would not be able to care for Cassandra tonight. It did not matter, it was only a fleeting thought. The biggest matter was her flower, that she’d guarded from prying eyes, that was being carted away to the palace. She would have to follow.

***

Gothel had had to wait for more than a day, observing the king and queen and newborn daughter-- a daughter who had the power of her stolen flower. When the king and queen finally went to bed, Gothel made her move. A single strand of hair would have to be enough. They would never know. She did not know what she would do about the Brotherhood man. Maybe kill him. Who knew what else he knew? 

Gothel glided to the balcony window and slowly opened it, stealing into the room like a shadow. She approached the crib and in a whispered voice, sang the incantation.  
“Flower, gleam and glow, let your power shine--” a grin spread on her face when the little girl’s hair started shimmered like sunlight, the magic now fully suffused with the girl's hair.

She pulled out a long pair of sewing scissors to cut a strand, triumphantly ready to accomplish her plan. 

“Make the clock--” she cut the strand and the hair immediately turned a deep chestnut, the magic gone.

No! No, this couldn’t happen. Why could she not cut it? In a furious panic, Gothel grabbed the child and hurried to the balcony amid the baby’s cries, casting a glance at the startled king and queen before leaping over the edge and sliding down the roof to a nearby ledge. 

She found herself running through the town, finally reaching her horse and mounting it, willing her steed faster, hoping to reach the forest before the guards could follow. She made her way to her cottage, but the guards were hot on her trail. Cassandra didn’t matter as much as the little girl in her arms, Gothel would let her be. She could take care of herself fine, after all. 

She hid behind a tree as the guards crossed the bridge and came to a stop at the door. She observed carefully, assessing the situation. She would leave. She still had the tower as a last resort. No one knew of it, no one would look there-- that she was sure of.

She turned the other way and rode away, ignoring Cassandra calling for her and the guards chasing her. She quickly lost them and jumped off her horse, urging it forward in the opposite direction before walking the rest of the way to the tower. 

Unlocking the door leading to the staircase at the bottom, she was glad to see the little girl had stayed asleep almost the entire time. Maybe she’d be a quiet child.  
It occurred to her that she’d have to clean out her potions and the ingredients and books, as she mainly used the tower as her potions lab where she practiced her magic, to make sure Cassandra would not bother her. She’d have to store her supplies up in the attic, out of the little girl’s curious eyes.

She entered the top of the tower and shut the trapdoor with her foot, eager to finally set the heavy baby down and rest her sore arms. She gazed at the little girl sleeping peacefully in her bed, her hair all blond and vibrant and Gothel allowed herself a small smile. She had her flower, and she wouldn’t let it go this time.


	2. Big Sister, Little Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gothel comes back with something... different. and unsurprisingly Gothel is good at lying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story excites me. oh im ready to have fun with this.

Rapunzel only began remembering things at around three and a half years old. It was mostly fuzzy at the time, and forgotten over the years, but the memories were more like drawings, a capture of a single moment in time, one emotion, no after no before, just in the moment. She would run around the tower, knock things over, sometimes something would blow up and the tower smelled dizzyingly sweet for a week. She would ask her mother what she was doing at the kitchen and if she could help. Her mother taught her to bake a cake, she brought back picture books with all kinds of animals and plants, she helped Rapunzel learn how to read, despite having a rather short temper when Rapunzel got something wrong. 

It was also when Rapunzel asked for the first time to leave the tower to see all the wonderful things her books showed her. Her mother told her no, because of her hair. That was when Rapunzel learned she was different-- special her mother said-- with a gift people wanted to use. And so Rapunzel started drawing the animals, and kept doing it. 

On May 12, her fourth birthday, it was the first year she ever remembered seeing the lights. She had stayed up late drawing, contrary to her mother’s wishes to sleep early and had caught sight of the lights blinking to life in the distance. She’d stopped drawing her bird and watched the lights float by slowly for hours, falling asleep at the break of dawn on the window seat. Her mother had been very mad at her and didn’t believe Rapunzel when she told her mother about the lights, but it didn’t matter. The sight of the lights had sparked something warm and nice in her chest-- giving her the same warm tingling feeling she got that day when her mother had pulled out her birthday cake and given her gifts. 

And Rapunzel was more than glad to keep it her secret. She would hold it close to her heart in fear that it would go away if she shared it again, afraid her mother would not believe her again. 

***

Sometimes Rapunzel’s mother would leave in the morning to run errands and come back at sunset. It scared Rapunzel at first, afraid her mother would not return, but after a while she got used to her coming and going. Sometimes, she’d bring back something for Rapunzel to entertain herself with when she was gone. 

However, one brisk autumn evening, Gothel came back, her face tight with fury and a bundle in her arms that would change Rapunzel’s life forever.

Rapunzel had been drawing in the living room, on her stomach on the cold tile floor when her mother opened the trapdoor and climbed up. Her hair wasn’t as black and shiny, more dull and graying at the edges, her face more lined and tight. 

“Mother!” Rapunzel exclaimed, standing up and rushing to give her a hug.

She stopped short, however, when the blue bundle of covers in her arms that Rapunzel assumed had been errands, began crying.

Gothel sighed tiredly as she sunk in her chair. “Here he goes crying again.”

“Mother?” Rapunzel asked tentatively.

“Come here, my flower,” Gothel said, beckoning Rapunzel forward, towards the whimpering bundle.

Rapunzle was apprehensive, but approached. “What is it?” she asked, glancing at the little thing, its face all scrunched and red and wet and snotty.

“Not what, my flower,” Gothel said quietly. “Who. This is your new baby brother, Varian.”

Rapunzel turned her wide eyed glance to her mother. “Brother?” she whispered. “But-- how?”

Gothel came up with a quick lie-- she was good at that. “They took him away when he was an infant. After searching all year, I finally found him.”

“Who took him?” Rapunzel asked, growing more scared. “The bad people who want my hair?”

“Yes, flower,” Gothel said, rocking the child in her arms. He finally fell asleep, his face becoming less red and more relaxed.

“Can I-- can I hold him?” she asked softly, looking at the baby and being unable to understand how she had found it weird and annoying. All she could see was a fragile thing in need of protecting.

“Only for a few moments, while I brush your hair,” her mother said. “Mother’s feeling tired after a long day.”

“Yes, mommy,” Rapunzle said, running up the stairs to her room, not even caring which hairbrush she took, simply wanting to hold and hug her new brother.

When she sat down on the stool in front of her mother, Gothel handed her the baby and she felt that same flower of warmth and jubilation bloom in her chest as she did that first night she saw the lights. 

Her mother began singing the incantation, Rapunzel still tripping over some of the words, clumsy and difficult to sound out. Rapunzel focused on the little human in her arms, using her sleeve to wipe the remaining tears and snot before they dried. His hair was sparse, but she thought she spotted a streak of blue amid the black strands as she stroked his hair. She prefered him when he was asleep-- or at least not screaming and crying-- but all she felt was love for this new addition to her family.

“Rapunzel?” Gothel asked firmly, bringing Rapunzel out of awestruck trance.

“Yes, mother?” she asked, reaching for the baby’s tiny hand, repressing a squeal of joy when he squeezed her thumb.

“Tomorrow you and I will rearrange your room to make space for Varian,” she told her. 

“He’s sleeping in my room?” Rapunzel gasped.

Gothel smiled. “Yes, my flower.”

Rapunzel grinned widely, excitedly looking back down at the baby.

“For now, I will get your crib and place it in your room for the night,” Gothel added, standing up, her hair back to its lustrous black shine, the worry lines gone from her face. 

“Mother?” Rapunzel asked as Gothel was about to walk in her room.

“Yes, flower?” she replied tiredly. 

“Does Varian have magic too?”

“Yes, flower,” came the reply as her mother vanished in her room. “He does. But his is quite different from yours.”

Rapunzel glanced down at her baby brother, focusing on his blue streak. Maybe it was like her golden hair, and this was the magic part of him. She wondered if the magic left once it was cut. She wanted to stroke his hair again, but her thumb was being held firmly by his tiny hand and she was using her other hand to hold him and she didn’t want to move, scared to perturb the magical moment.

Rapunzel looked up, making sure Gothel was still searching her room for the crib before turning back to the sleeping baby. “I love you, Varian,” she whispered to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bro i actually didnt fuck up writing this?


	3. Magical Birthdays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's Rapunzel's first birthday with Varian guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this at 2am and published it just like that so now im gonna go to bed because my body is screaming at me to sleep and ive been ignoring it for an hour.

By spring of the following year, Rapunzel could sing the incantation on her own without any mistakes, and her hair had grown to trail long behind her. Varian was only just learning to walk and had successfully said his first word-- Gothel had not been home and only Rapunzel had witnessed him babbling out “Rap’nze”. She had been so happy to hear him say her name that she forgot how frustrated she’d gotten with Varian for his almsot nonstop crying the day before.

Her birthday was tomorrow and her mother had been gone two days. She had never known babies were so fussy and needed attention. Varian was always crying, most of the day and well into the night. Rapunzel had barely slept last night.

Rapunzel was looking forward to her birthday, not to celebrate it with her mother who always made a cake and brought her a present, but to finally be able to show Varian her secret.

It was late afternoon and tomorrow she’d be six years old. Varian would turn two later that autumn. It would be his second birthday, and she had seen no floating lights on his birthday last year. She didn’t know why. Maybe he would have some on his next birthday.

She watched the sun sink slowly behind the treetops and wondered where her mother was. She had no doubt that she would return before her birthday-- she had to, it was her _birthday_. Her mother was coming. Rapunzel refused to let herself doubt that her mother wouldn’t come.

Varian cooed in his crib, turning Rapunzel’s attention away from her thoughts.

“What is it?” she asked him softly, gazing down at him.

She found it funny how different they both were from their mother. Well, Gothel had told Rapunzel that her golden hair was caused by the magic, but there was no explaining her bright green eyes and her mother’s dark ones, her straight hair and her mother’s curly one. Varian’s eyes were the clear blues of the waterfall bursting from the rock behind their tower. His only similarity to their mother was his black hair, except for the teal stripe. It was odd he only had a stripe, but Rapunzel found it unique and pretty for him.

Varian smiled, showing his tiny teeth. Rapunzel remembered the sleepless nights where he howled and chewed on everything as his teeth grew, making Gothel more angry and leaving Rapunzel with chewed-on hair.

Varian’s tiny fist grabbed her hair as he said, “glow!”

She grinned. “You want me to make my hair glow?” she asked him.

Varian babbled happily from where he sat next to Rapunzel by the empty fireplace. It was getting chilly and Rapunzel considered closing a window or starting a fire.  
“Okay,” Rapunzel said. “It’s supposed to heal people. It’s why mother keeps me here. And you. Your hair does something too, but mother doesn’t talk about it, yet.”

“Glow!” Varian screamed, oblivious.

Rapunzel shifted so she sat cross-legged directly across from her brother and took his hands in hers.

“ _Flower gleam and glow_ ,” she began singing soflty. _“Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine.”_

Varian squealed in delight as her hair glowed brightly in the dim tower, his eyes wide with wonder. It made Rapunzel feel warm happiness in her heart-- no one had praised her magic before. Mother only told her her hair was special and had to be protected, but only Varian was purely amazed by her.

She smiled wider. “ _Heal what has been hurt, change the Fate's design_. _Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine_.”

When she sang the last note, her hair glowed for a second longer before slowly fading back to its natural wheat blonde.

“Magic!” Varian exclaimed. “Magic!”

Rapunzel giggled. “It is magic.”

Varian opened his mouth, but yawned instead of talked. He leaned into his sister, his eyes drooping suddenly, all his bubbly excitement dwindling. Rapunzel also began to feel tired and yearned for a good night’s sleep.

“Let’s go to bed,” she said, scooping Varian into her arms and stumbling up the stairs clumsily.

She made it to her bed and set Varian down in it, not feeling up to carrying Varian further into the room into his own bed.

“Can you sleep with me, tonight?” she asked him, knowing he wouldn’t answer.

She was too tired and not strong enough yet to carry him far, but she also needed comfort-- the small slither of doubt that her mother wouldn’t be here for her birthday was back and she needed to hug someone. She forced the tears back as she laid down next to Varian, making sure he was closest to the wall to keep from falling in the night.

Despite her best effort, Rapunzel felt a few tears escaping as her heart squeezed painfully in her chest, worried about her mother. She was surprised by a warm hand pressing against her cheek. She gazed at Varian’s tired eyes.

“Magic song?” he asked softly, eyes half closed already.

Rapunzel laughed, wiping the tears away. “You want me to sing?” Varian nodded. “Okay.”

She sang the song her mother had taught her years ago until she felt too tired to keep singing and curled in closer to Varian and fell asleep.

The next morning, Rapunzel was awoken by crying.

She opened her eyes, noticing Varian’s red face first, large tears escaping from his eyes as he cried.

“Varian?” she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes awake. “What’s wrong?”

Varian offered no response and Rapunzel decided he must be hungry. She slid out of bed and grabbed him and held him to her chest to make her way to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and laid out a simple breakfast for her and Varian and their mother. Varian stopped crying once he started eating, much to Rapunzel’s relief. He still looked sad so she made funny faces at him until he laughed.

After a while, Rapunzel started to worry as it was getting late and her mother still hadn’t appeared.

“Mother?” Rapunzel called, standing up.

When no reply she carefully made her way to her mother’s bedroom. “Mother?” she asked again, more tentatively than before. “Mother?” she asked as she pushed the door open.

The room was entirely empty. Panicking, Rapunzel ran around the tower three times looking for her mother, freaking out more and more, hyperventilating then full-on crying. When she realized her mother really wasn’t home, Rapunzel collapsed in the middle of the room and continued sobbing loudly, scared that her mother could be hurt.

“Magic?” Varian asked, surprising her.

Rapunzel wiped her eyes. “No, Varian,” she said sadly. “No magic.”

 _It’s my birthday_ , she thought miserably. _Mother coul be hurt or lost. There’s no way she would have forgotten-- right?_

Rapunzel wasn’t sure and she hated it.

“Magic?” Varian asked, running his hands through her hair.

“You want the magic?” she asked him quietly.

Varian shook his head. “Magic,” he said again, pouting as Rapunzel didn’t understand.

“What magic?” she asked, standing up.

He took her hand and wobbled toward the stairs. He didn’t know how to climb them, so Rapunzel held him as she climbed before he tried to wiggle out of her grasp. She set him down and followed after him, thoroughly confused.

Varian waddled over to her bedside table and grabbed the colored drawing she’d made last year of the floating lights.

“Magic,” he said, showing her the drawing.

Rapunzel laughed. She’d forgotten she had been planning on showing her new baby brother the lights.

“Yes, magic,” she said, sitting on her bed and hoisting him up to sit next to her. “Today’s my birthday. They showed up last year for my birthday, too. I hope they show up this year. I really wanted to show you the lights.”

Varian stared at her, eyes wide, smile wider. And that was when Rapunzel decided her birthday wouldn’t be ruined that easily. Her mother had cookbooks, so she’d make her cake herself, and then she and Varian would draw and she’d show him the lights. It would be like every birthday, but with a brother instead of a mother.

“Come on,” she said brightly. “Let’s make a cake.”

***

By late afternoon, Rapunzel had finally cleaned the mess she’d made while attempting to make a cake. She and Varian had laughed quite a lot, flour flying everywhere, eggs inadvertently splattered on the walls. In the end, the cake had somehow ended up being crisp and brown on the outside and uncooked in the center, but Rapunzel had tried to salvage it with frosting. She’d managed to make it pretty and cover it up with slightly sloppy frosting flowers and birds blooming and flying. She and Varian had tried the cake, but it had been too crispy on the outside and too gooey inside so they settled on eating the frosting until their fingers were multicolored and sticky.

She’d taken him to the washroom and helped him wash his hands before washing hers and then she’d started the fire in the living room, opened the window wide open and set cushions and blankets in front of the fire. She was drawing the floating lights from memory while Varian scribbled wild lines next to her. The sun was almost about to set, the sky pale and the world darkening.

Rapunzel tried her hardest to ignore the fact that her mother wasn’t here, not wanting to spoil her birthday, but it was nagging and persistent. She was worried, and scared, and disappointed.

Suddenly, Varian shrieked and Rapunzel dropped her paintbrush.

“What is it?” she asked her brother.

Varian squealed and pointed at the window. Rapunzel turned and saw a pinprick of light in the distance, almost melting into the pink of the dying sky.

A grin split her face as she grabbed Varian and rushed to the window. She kept a firm grip on Varian as she marvelled at the lights, the more they appeared the happier she felt.

“Look,” she whispered. “The floating lights.”

“Lights!” Varian agreed gleefully, blue eyes wide and happy.

“I always hoped they were for me,” she confessed to her brother as she focused on the lights. “There are always so many, and it’s like there’s _something_ out there celebrating my birthday, too. I wish mother could see.” _I wish she could understand_ , she thought gloomily.

But the sight of the lights in the dimming sky could not be brought down by the thought of her missing mother. This was the happiest day of her year. Except maybe the day Varian showed up.

The sky kept darkening, Rapunzel’s arm grew heavier with Varian in her arms, but she couldn’t move. She kept watching the thousands upon thousands of lights floating over her tower like stars, but _alive_. Soon, the lights mingled with the stars, making them seem more numerous.

“One day I’ll go where the lights come from,” Rapunzel said, hours after the first light appeared in the sky. “One day I’ll find out if they’re for me.”

She glanced down and saw Varian asleep on her shoulder, his mouth ajar and drooling slightly. She winced a bit, finally deciding it was time for bed. The lights were almost gone, and she could see the remaining ones from her bedroom window. Tomorrow, she would clean the house and hope her mother would come back soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god my sleep schedule is a mess. so is my update schedule. fuck. guys i apologize in advance.


	4. Discovering Stars and Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rapunzel is 8 and varian is 4 and they finally find out what varian can do (ish)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch me write fanfiction at 2am while listening to the tangled soundtrack knowing full well I will regret it tomorrow when i have to wake up at 7 for a zoom class haha

By the time Rapunzel was eight, she had studied almost all star charts and astronomy books she could understand (which wasn’t that many), trying to understand the floating lights. Her mother had missed two more of her birthdays, and one of Varian’s, but always brought gifts. Rapunzel knew her mother never meant to forget, it was just a simple mistake. Her mother had told her not to fret, that there was alway next year, that it was all right. Rapunzel was glad Varian was already four and could understand what she said. It made those lonely birthdays less lonely.

At four, Varian was curious about everything. It made Rapunzel happy to get to explain something to someone. She had never realized how little she got to talk with someone when she was alone, and she had wondered how she’d lived without it for eight years. Varian’s apparent passion about her roughly copied sketches of the star charts and his absolute trust in the floating lights also made Rapunzel so grateful. She was glad someone believed her. Her mother kept insisting they were simply stars, but Rapunzel was doubtful and had tried to convince her mother until she’d snapped in a fit of anger at Rapunzel to stop talking about the stars. Now, she just settled for quietly studying stars and telling Varian about what she learned.

One of the other topics her mother never talked about was Varian’s magic. Rapunzel was growing more curious, and now Varian had also begun asking questions-- about Rapunzel’s hair, his blue streak, if he had magic. Their mother always insisted that he would find out when he was older.

“What do you think I can do?” he asked Rapunzel one evening, as they were making a batch of cookies, eating what remained of the batter.

Gothel had left the day prior and had promised to be back by tomorrow afternoon. The siblings were used to her leaving and going, and so the news barely fazed them. Varian had climbed on the wooden counter and was now swinging his legs wildly as he and Rapunzel waited for the cookies to finish baking. The entire tower smelled amazing, and it made Varian’s mouth water and his stomach rumble. He’d purposefully eaten lightly at dinner to be able to eat more cookies.

“Maybe you can make things float,” Rapunzel said, focusing on her painting. She was attempting to draw Varian without him noticing.

Varian sighed dramatically. “I want to be able to fly. Like a bird,” he said. “Like that I could leave the tower and see the entire world. And see a cloud up close.”  
Rapunzel giggled. “I would like to be a bird. They’re so... free.”

And they were very much not. Rapunzel ignored that thought. The tower kept them safe and hidden. People wanted to exploit their magic for their own gain, and their mother kept them safe and hidden. The least they could do was not complain.

“If I could fly,” Varian continued. “I would follow the floating lights and see where they’re from.”

Rapunzel stopped sketching and glanced up at her brother, her eyes wide. “Really?”

He nodded vehemently. “Yeah! And I’d take you with me.”

Rapunzel laughed. “How? You’d have to carry me.”

Varian pouted. “I could do that.”

Rapunzel grinned. “No way.”

“Yes, way!”

“You’re too small,” Rapunzel argued. “I’m too heavy.”

“Maybe my power could make you fly, too.”

Rapunzel’s smile softened. “We don’t even know your power, silly.”

Varian peered into the oven in lieu of answering and said, “I think the cookies are done.”

Rapunzel set down her sketch-- all she needed was to paint it, now-- and looked in the oven to see large, golden brown cookies sitting there, looking even better than she’d imagined.

“They smell so good,” she said, reaching for the oven mittens and reaching into the oven to pull out the cookies.

Varian jumped from the counter to make room for Rapunzel to set the scalding cookies down. Rapunzel slapped Varian’s hand away when he reached for a cookie.  
“No!” she said. “You have to wait for it to be cool. It’s too hot, you’ll get burned.”

Varian pouted. “I’m hungry!”

Rapunzel smiled. “Just five minutes, okay?"

Varian sighed. “Okay,” he agreed and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Rapunzel took a seat a few paces away and added finishing touches to the sketch. She decided she would try the watercolor set her mother had gotten her for her last birthday.

“What’cha drawing?” Varian asked.

“A surprise,” Rapunzel replied, smiling slyly. “You’ll like it.”

Varian’s eyes went wide and excited. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “Can I see?”

She laughed. “No! It’s a surprise, which means you can’t see until I’m done.”

“Oh,” Varian said sadly. “When will you be done?”

Rapunzel paused, thinking. “Tonight,” she said in an assured tone.

Just like that, Varian was excited again. Unable to sit still, he stood up and grabbed kitchen utensils and started assembling. Rapunzel waited until she was happy with her drawing before deciding to check on the cookies and her brother. She stands up and picks up one of the cookies, finding it warm and soft-- perfect.  
She turns around to call for Varian when she spots him sitting on the dinner with what looks like a poorly attempted replica of their tower built from wooden spoons and various metal utensils.

“Uh-- Varian?” she called. “The cookies are ready.”

He turned around in surprise and knocked into his tower, sending it toppling in a deafening crash of metal against wood. Both Rapunzel and Varian pressed their palms against their ears to protect themselves from the clanging.

“Are you okay?” Rapunzel asked, eyes fixed on the mess of utensils.

Varian had seemed to have already forgotten, clambering off the table and practically running to the cookies. He stared, eyes wide and grinning as he reached for a cookie.

“It’s so warm,” he marvelled.

Rapunzel grinned as she bit into her cookie. It melted into her mouth, the chocolate chips still warm. “They’re so good,” she said, closing her eyes.  
She couldn’t believe she’d made cookies without overcooking or undercooking them. This was their first successful bake.

***

Varian was playing by the empty fireplace with the kitchen utensils again, remaking his tower while Rapunzel was lying on her stomach on their bedroom floor, painting carefully, so as not to spill some on the floor. She was startled by a creaking sound, almost knocking over her glass of paint-stained water.

“Mommy!” Varian exclaimed downstairs.

“Hello, dear,” came their mother’s voice.

Excited, Rapunzel stood up and rushed outside, gripping the handrail. “Mother!” she called.

She bolted down the stairs and ran to her mother, embracing her in a hug over Varian, also hugging her.

“We missed you,” Rapunzel said.

“I missed you more,” Gothel said, stroking Rapunzel’s hair. “But I’m feeling quite tired after my long trip and I would love it if you would sing for mommy.”

Rapunzel reluctantly dropped the hug and ran to her room to find a hairbrush while Gothel sat in her armchair. Varian came up to her nervously.

“Mother?” he asked shyly. “Um… I wanted to ask you about something--”

“Oh, not now dear,” Gothel said, eyes closed and wrinkles prominent. “Mother is feeling run-down.”

“O-- okay,” Varian squeaked, casting his eyes downward.

Rapunzel came back in and set a stool in front of her mother’s armchair before singing slowly. Varian looked up at her, never growing tired of seeing her hair glow and light up the room. It was not the best thing about Rapunzel-- that was all in her bright and bubbly attitude and her ways to cheer him up-- but it was still a sight to behold. Seeing the room light up, seeing her hair shimmer like gold under the sun, almost blinding, but Varian was used to look at it and had no need to look away. The soft melody always made him feel drowsy, used to hearing his sister sing it to him to get him to sleep when Gothel was away.

When Rapunzel was done, their mother looked to be in a better mood and Varian took it as an invitation to speak again.

“Mother?” he asked quietly again. “Can I ask you something?”

Both Gothel and Rapunzel turned to him, both with different expressions.

“Yes, Varian?” she asked, smiling.

“Um… he looked down at his hands. “I’d like to ask about my--”

“Varian, no mumbling. It’s bad enough that Rapunzel does it, I don’t want you to do the same.”

“O-- oh. Sorry,” Varian said, speaking up. “I’d like to ask about-- about my magic.”

The words were out and a wave of relief crashed over him. It seemed like an obstacle that, once crossed, seemed small and not so scary.

Rapunzel perked up, smiling encouragingly.

Gothel just sighed. “Oh, Varian,” she said. “I knew you’d ask one day. Come here.”

Varian apporached her chair as she gestured and she picked him up and sat him on her lap. He had stopped asking to be picked up last year when she only repprimanded him, and only did so when she told him he could.

She stroked his hair, smoothing it down. “Unlike Rapunzel, your hair doesn’t possess healing abilities. I will admit, I’m not sure what yours does, but people tried to steal you away, to kill you, because of your power. Yours was harder to exploit and people see it as a dangerous thing, Varian. Do you understand?”

Varian nodded, eyes frightened. “Yes. But do I have to sing, too?”

Gothel focused on his hair, on the blue streak that stood out in the black locks. Then, she began to sing.

“ _Wither and decay, end this destiny. Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free. The spirit free_.” As Gothel sang, the blue streak in Varian’s hair began glowing a bright blue, slowly seeping from the tips to the roots, until his black hair glowed pure white.

Rapunzel stared, mesmerized, absolutely amazed by the wondrous sight. Now she could understand why Varian stared at her the way he did when her hair glowed. Varian looked up, gasping in surprise, grabbing at his hair to get a closer look. When Gothel finished singing the incantation, Varian’s hair slowly turned back to normal.

“Wow,” Varian breathed, his smile growing wider.

“I need you to promise you won’t use it when I’m away,” Gothel said sternly.

Varian’s smile dropped and he nodded to show he understood. “Yes, mommy.”

Gothel broke into a grin and pinched his cheek hard enough to make him wince. “Don’t look so serious,” she laughed. “You’ll get yourself worry lines. Now, off you two go to bed. Mommy’s tired.”

Varian jumped off her lap, rubbing his cheek and followed Rapunzel upstairs, leaving Gothel alone. Rapunzel glanced back at her mother, and her attention was drawn to a potted plant she’d set on the windowsill. She was surprised to see it had withered and browned and looked about ready to crumble to dust. She’d watered it herself this morning, it had been all green and leafy. She still remembered the feel of the velvety leaves under her fingers.

She stepped inside their room and looked at Varian, crawling into his bed, yawning. Had he--? Rapunzel frowned, climbing into her own bed, deep in thought. Her hair could heal, maybe Varian’s could destroy.

“Is that me?” Varian asked suddenly.

Rapunzel looked at Varian, then to where he pointed on the floor. There sat her painting, finished, drying, the paint still out. She’d completely forgotten about it.  
“Oh!” she said, sitting up and grabbing the paper. “Yes! It’s for you.”

She sat on his bed and handed him the drawing. “It’s-- me? Rapunzel, it’s so pretty.”

He hugged her tightly and she laughed breathlessly. “I wanted to draw you now like that you’ll be able to look back and see what you looked like.”

Varian grinned and set his drawing on his bedside table. “I’ll hang it up tomorrow,” he said with resolution.

Rapunzel laughed and ruffled his hair. “Okay. I’ll help. Good night, Varian.”

“Good night, Rapunzel,” Varian replied, laying back down. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered, brushing his hair away from his forehead to kiss it before going to her bed.

She knew that sometimes during the night Varian would come to her bed-- the nights where they didn’t sleep in the same bed were rare, and they both found comfort in the other’s presence. They always went to bed in their respective beds because Gothel had commented on their childish behavior and told them that they were too old to sleep in each other’s beds. She rolled over and blew the candle, extinguishing the only light in their room. Varian’s bed was closest to the window and Rapunzel always fell asleep looking at the stars shining in the dark velvety sky.

She focused on the brightest star, remembering what she’d read in an astrology book, how if you wished on the brightest star in the sky your dream would come true. She had wished countless times to be able to go out and see the floating lights. It hadn’t happened yet, but she knew if she kept wishing, it would have to listen and maybe come true one day. But tonight, she found herself longing for something else. She felt that pang in her chest she often felt when she had been alone in the tower, Varian only a baby and asleep and Gothel away on a trip.

That night, Rapunzel found herself wishing for a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be clear, i WROTE at 2am, but published it now (around 11am i guess)


	5. The Dangers of the Outside World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you know how little kids are curious about everything? yeah...

“Mother?” Varian asked one morning at breakfast, his legs swinging wildly in the air. “I--”

“Varian, how many times must I ask you to stop swinging your legs? It is _very_ annoying dear,” Gothel interrupted, face pinched.

Varian’s face fell and his legs stopped swinging. “Oh,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Gothel laughed. “Oh, don’t look so _serious_ , dear, I’m only teasing you. Now, what is it you wanted to ask?”

Varian focused his eyes on his plate. “Um…” he suddenly didn’t feel like asking, but his curiosity got the better of him again. “I wanted to know why we couldn’t go outside with you.”

The smile vanished from Gothel’s face and Rapunzel looked up, eyes wide, and stared at Varian.

“Varian,” Gothel said. “I don’t need to remind you that the outside world is a dangerous place, do I?”

Varian shook his head. “No, but you always leave. I just wanted to know why we can’t come with you.”

“Varian, the outside world is a dangerous place filled with thieves and ruffians serving no one but themselves. They take advantage of people like you and your sister. Without me, you would both be dead.”

Varian jumped slightly, eyes wide and frightened. Rapunzel wanted to tell Gothel to stop scaring him, but she was frozen where she sat.

“I don’t want you to ask me to leave the tower,” Gothel said. “Ever. Is that understood?”

Varian nodded. “Y-- yes, Mother,” he said softly.

Gothel smiled and pinched Varian’s cheek painfully. “Now go help your sister clean up the table.”

Varian nodded quietly, standing up. Rapunzel did the same, gathering up the plates and flatware. Varian’s whole body shook and he looked ready to cry. Once in the kitchen, Rapunzel turned to her brother.

“She didn’t mean to scare you,” she assured him. “She just wants to keep us safe, Varian.”

Varian nodded. “I know,” he said. “I just-- I wanted to ask her if we could see the lights.”

Something twinged in Rapunzel’s chest. “Oh,” she said dumbly. “Varian… thank you.”

She pulled him in a tight hug.

“I’m sorry,” he said, muffled by her hair in his face. “I couldn’t ask her.”

“It’s okay. I can ask when we’re older, when we’re able to protect ourselves.”

They stood there for a few minutes, the table forgotten.

“Don’t you ever wonder what the world looks like?” Varian asked.

Rapunzel closed her eyes and imagined herself roaming in fields of vibrant wildflowers, or feeling the cold water of a stream running over her feet, or wandering through a forest of flowering rowan and ash trees.

“Yes,” she said. “I do.”

She didn’t say anything else, otherwise she would talk forever about all the things she wished to see, instead wanted to finish cleaning up fast so she could sketch out the idea nagging inside her brain. Her mother would probably have a fit if she knew Rapunzel was drawing on the furniture, but Rapunzel was willing to risk it. She couldn’t remember why she started, she just remembered how much different it was from painting on normal canvas. She dreamed of filling up every nook and crany of the tower with flowering paintings. It would brighten it up.

***

Rapunzel and Varian had spent a whole hour leafing through the botany book their mother had brought back with her. Rapunzel had been looking for flowers and trees she could draw on her wardrobe. Varian was sitting next to her, trying to memorize the Latin names of the plants and flowers while Rapunzel painted. She and Varian did this often-- she would paint and he would sit next to her, either trying to draw or doing another activity.

There was little talking, but that suited both of them. It was their quiet activity, both of them deeply concentrated on their tasks. They would do those activities together because they enjoyed each other’s company.

Varian was rarely quiet-- he was either always asking questions or always wanting to do _something_ \-- but sometimes he’d be so focused on a task he wouldn’t speak at all. He almost always ended up falling asleep for the few hours it took Rapunzel to finish painting, but neither minded.

This time, Varian was sprawled on their bedroom floor, flipping through all the biology and botany books their mother brought back, mainly looking at the pictures, and sometimes trying to decipher the text describing the plants’ name and classification. Whenever Rapunzel was done painting one flower or tree, she would tell Varian the name of the next flower she was going to draw and he would flip through the books until he found it.

It was purely dumb entertainment, but their mother had left to go buy supplies that morning and would be back by sundown, and they had to fill their day.

“I want to see my hair glow,” Varian spoke up suddenly.

Rapunzel’s hand froze, her paintbrush poised over the poppies she’d been painting. She cast a glance at her brother, who was staring at her, eyebrows drawn and lips pursed.

“Mother said you shouldn’t,” Rapunzel said.

Varian looked down. “But why?”

Rapunzel bit her lip and looked away. “I don’t know.”

She didn’t suggest he ask-- he had tried and she’d told him it didn’t matter. He’d tried asking again, and she’d gotten mad. Their mother didn’t get mad often, but both siblings tried to avoid making her angry at all cost.

“But I want to see what I do!” Varian said, huffing in exasperation. “Besides, we can do it when she’s not home.”

Rapunzel sighed, going back to her flowers. She was hesitating. On one hand, they’d be directly defying their mother’s wishes, which Rapunzel had never done before, and didn’t know how she would react. On the other hand-- Varian’s hair did _something_ , and Rapunzel was sure it was linked to the dead plant that had been alive just hours earlier. Rapunzel knew so much about her magic, didn’t Varian deserve to know more about _his_?

Rapunzel sighed. “Okay,” she conceded. “ _But_ not today. We’ll try it out when she leaves again, okay?”

A bright grin spread on Varian’s face. “Okay!” he said, looking just excited that Rapunzel had said yes.

***

“Do you remember the incantation?” Rapunzel asked Varian a few days later.

They were alone for the next two days, and Rapunzel-- despite however reluctantly-- had agreed that they could try Varian’s incantation.

Varian, from where he was sitting cross-legged in front of the tall oval mirror near the staircase, shook his head. “No,” he said, blushing in embarrassment.

Rapunzel sighed. “It’s okay,” she said. “I do.” And she knew she’d never forget it.

She sat next to Varian, observing both of their reflections in the mirror, looking for something. She wasn’t sure what, but then maybe she was stalling. Rapunzel was half expecting to feel something hard and bitter in her chest at hiding something from their mother, but she only felt giddy excitement. It was very confusing and she wasn’t sure whether to like it or not.

She took Varian’s hand in hers. “ _Wither and decay_ ,” she began softly as Varian’s stripe began glowing bright blue, “ _end this destiny. Break these earthly chains_ ,” his whole hair was now glowing, the black now pure white, save for his blue stripe, “ _and set the spirit free. The spirit free_.”

In the mirror, Varian’s eyes were wide and round, his mouth open in surprised delight. Rapunzel was equally surprised, having forgotten how new and different his magic was compared to hers.

“Varian,” she began slowly. “Can you try something for me? I want to see if we can figure out your magic.”

Varian’s eyes flickered to Rapunzel’s in the mirror, swimming with uncertainty, but he nodded. “Okay.”

Rapunzel stood up and grabbed the nearest healthy potted plant she found and handed it to Varian before sitting back down. Varian glanced from the plant in his hands to Rapunzel in confusion.

“Just hold the plant while I sing again,” Rapunzel said. “That’s all.”

Varian nodded, focusing on the plant, but his eyes flickering up to his reflection in anticipation as Rapunzel began singing again. The song was eerily beautiful in a haunting way. Varian’s hair glowed again and, under the eyes of the siblings, the plant began withering and turning brown. Rapunzel stopped singing before she finished the incantation, a stone settling in her stomach. She liked being right, but this was the first time she wished deeply she was wrong.

Varian dropped the plant and scooted away from Rapunzel. The ceramic pot collided with the tile and shattered, dry earth and dead leaves falling in a dead pile.  
“What-- what’s that?” Varian asked, voice shaking as he cradled his arms close to his chest.

“Varian--” Rapunzel began, pushing herself to her knees and reaching for him.

“Stop!” he exclaimed, curling in on himself when he found he couldn’t go farther away, stopped by the wall. “D--don’t.”

Rapunzel huffed and scooted over to Varian’s side, avoiding the shards of broken pottery and clumps of dirt. She wrapped an arm around Varian, ignoring his protests.  
“Varian,” she said. “Look, I’m fine. Your hair isn’t glowing, so your magic isn’t working. You can’t hurt me, Varian. It’s okay.”

Varian was still shaking, but he seemed to have calmed slightly about Rapunzel touching him. Her logic helped calm him.

“As-- as long as we don’t sing the song, my powers won’t-- do that?” he asked tentatively.

“I’m touching you, aren’t I?” Rapunzel asked, smiling softly.

“Y--yeah, I guess,” Varian admitted.

“Don’t worry, Varian,” Rapunzel went on. “We won’t sing the song again if you don’t want to.”

Varian nodded. “Okay,” he said.

Rapunzel tightened her hold on Varian, pulling him closer. He rested his head on her shoulder and she rested her head on his head. She closed her eyes as she rubbed her hand up and down Varian’s arm comfortingly as his erratic breathing slowed back to normal.

Rapunzel didn’t mind sitting next to Varian and comforting him. It gave her time to think as the shadows lengthened on the floor as the hours passed. At one point, Varian’s breathing slowed and his body relaxed as he fell asleep, but Rapunzel still didn’t move. She really didn’t want to wake him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, ill admit, the chapter summary was slightly ominous. i apologize. i was just messing around :)


	6. Something About A Chameleon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's Varian's sixth birthday! and Pascal shows up too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i may be dead inside and get only 4 hours of sleep but that's not gonna stop me from writing fanfics

Varian’s birthday fell a month and a half from Rapunzel’s, on March 25th. It was usually the time when the snow wasn’t fully melted and still hung in wet clumps on the windowsills and roof shingles. Butterflies and bees would lazily begin to drift around the blooming flowers Rapunzel had managed to grow all around the only window that had no pane. Rapunzel’s hair was now long enough that it almost reached the bottom of the tower. It was Rapunzel’s favorite season of the year.

The days leading up to her brother’s sixth birthday, Rapunzel had spent with him painting the ceramic flower pots-- she had begun painting the walls, feeling like paper to be easy to lose and being tired of running out of canvas too often. She had started small, with painting her and Varian’s bedposts, then moved on to decorating chairs and had now begun painting their bedroom wall. She and Varian were so often bored and their only distraction was Rapunzel teaching Varian how to read or playing chess.

Now, with Varian’s birthday the next day, Rapunzel was racking her brain for a birthday gift she could make him. She sat on the windowsill, her legs dangling over the edge. She had long since stopped being afraid of heights, and though Varian could look down he was still too afraid to sit like her. She found it funny that he was scared of heights when they lived in a tower. Rapunzel loved the view she got from her vantage point.

Rapunzel heard Varian walking up to her. “Do you think I’ll get floating lights, too, this year?” he asked her.

Rapunzel felt a pang in her heart. The floating lights were her birthday gift from… _somewhere_. But Varian didn’t have that. She wished he did, so he’d be able to feel the same wonderful feeling she got when she saw them.

“Maybe,” she replied softly.

And then the idea hit her. It was absolutely crazy, and she couldn’t even think how many hours it would take, but she had an idea.

“Varian,” she said, swinging her legs back inside but staying seated.

Varian winced at her position, clearly afraid she might fall. “Yeah?”

“Do you think you’re okay making cupcakes alone? I could help with the frosting--”

She was interrupted by Varian. “Yeah!” he exclaimed. “I can make them alone?”

Rapunzel smiled. All Varian kept asking was if he could bake alone, and Rapunzel had been afraid he’d get hurt and insisted she helped, but she decided he could do it himself, knowing the recipe forward and backward. Besides, she needed the couple hours it would take to prepare her surprise.

“Of course you can,” she said. “I trust you, Varian.”

His eyes went wide. “You do?”

She grinned and ruffled his hair playfully. “Of course I do.”

Varian grinned back, showing off his missing tooth. “I’ll make you the best cupcakes!” he said. “You’ll see!”

“I’ll love them,” Rapunzel said.

She waited until Varian was in the kitchen before making her way to their room. There, she pulled out the largest sheet of paper she could find and began sketching her ideas. She did it hurriedly, trying not to waste any time so she could make as many as she could for what remained of the afternoon.

Then, she scoured all her large sheets of paper, picking one of each color and worked on the schematics. She wasn’t the best at math, but she could make three dimensional shapes. Of course, they had been much smaller than what she was planning, but it was the same principle. She was going to make Varian his very own lights, but with paper lanterns she was planning on making and illustrating herself.

The rest of the afternoon flew by as Rapunzel traced, cut, painted and glued as many lanterns as she could. She would place candles in each one and tested if they floated properly and reworked them if they didn’t. She needed this to be _perfect_ for Varian.

Originally, she had considered keeping them hidden somewhere in the tower until tomorrow night, but Gothel might come back and ruin the surprise, and she knew she couldn’t hide them that long and risk forgetting. She would do it tonight.

Then, as she added the finishing touches to the last lantern she heard Varian call her name. Quickly, she stowed them away under her bed before stepping out.  
“Varian?” she asked, immediately she was assualted by a smell of burning.

She looked around until she found Varian. He was crouched by the oven, and it was on fire.

“Varian!” she screamed, bolting down the stairs and sliding into the kitchen and pulled Varian away from the oven before grabbing a drying ceramic vase that she had decorated with butterflies and flowers and filled it up with water before throwing it inside the oven. There was a hiss and white smoke billowed into her face, making her stumble back, but the flames were gone.

“Varian!” she called again, collapsing to her knees next to him, shaking from the harrowing encounter. “Are you okay?”

Varian was shaking like a leaf, from fear and sobs, Rapunzel noticed. She had become aware of his loud crying.

“It’s-- it’s okay, Varian,” Rapunzel said softly, hugging him close to her, both of them on the ground, smoke wafting through the entire tower. “You’re okay, I’m okay. We’re okay. No one got hurt. I promise.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Varian repeated, the tears still flowing, his cheeks flushed.

“It’s okay, Varian,” Rapunzel said, more seriously, pulling away so she could stare Varian in the eyes. “I’m not mad. It’s okay, you didn’t know this would happen.”  
“I thought I could make cupcakes, but I messed up,” Varian said. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

“Varian--” Rapunzel wanted to tell him he hadn’t, but thought she’d have to convince him. “Did you at least make the batter?”

Varian sniffled. “What?”

“Did you make the batter before putting it in the oven?” Rapunzel asked.

Varian nodded shakily. “Y-- yeah,” he said. “I made the batter and the frosting. There’s no batter left, but the frosting’s--”

Rapunzel stood up and reached for the bowl full of buttercream batter. It looked wonderfully made. She dipped her finger in and scooped some in her mouth. Her eyes widened at the sweet taste. It was better than any frosting she’d made.

“Varian this is really good!” she said, grabbing the whole bowl and sitting back down next to him. “You should try some.”

She handed the bowl to Varian who wiped his nose with his sleeve and accepted the spoon Rapunzel was handing him.

“You’re not mad?” he asked in a small voice.

“No,” Rapunzel said. “I was scared,” she admitted. “That you’d gotten hurt, but I’m not mad.”

Rapunzel glanced at the open window, and saw the sun barely dipping over the treetops. Sunset was an hour away, night still a few hours ahead. She bit her lip as she thought quickly.

“We could make the cupcakes again,” she suggested toher brother. “I’ll help you with the oven, okay?”

Varian nodded, his smile back. “Okay,” he said.

“And then we can save them for tomorrow,” Rapunzel suggested. “Unless you want to bake something else on your birthday.”

Varian shook his head, still smiling. “No, we’ll save them for tomorrow.”

She and Varian stood up and started cleaning out the ruined and blackened cupcakes sitting in the oven before starting making more batter.

Rapunzel hoisted herself on the counter, carefully avoiding hitting her head on a cupboard as Varian made more batter.

“You know, after you make the cupcakes, I have a birthday surprise for you,” she said, swinging her feet.

Varian paused his task to look at her with curiosity and excitement. “Really? What kind of surprise?”

Rapunzel laughed. “I can’t tell you, Varian. It’s a _surprise_.”

“Is that what you were doing?”

“Yeah. It took so long, but I’m done. You’ll love it.”

Well, she hoped he would love it.

From the looks of it, Varian thought so, too. He was practically vibrating with excitement, the previous baking mishap long forgotten.

“Can you give me a clue at least?” he begged. “Please? Please, please, please?”

Rapunzel laughed louder. “You have to finish by sunset. It’s only gonna work at night.”

That only seemed to excite Varian more, and Rapunzel worried he was going to actually trying to decorate the wall with flour and sugar, not even caring how much spilled over the sides of the bowl and dripped onto the counter or the floor.

This time, there was no smoke, no panicking, no charred cupcakes. Rapunzel had taken care of turning on the oven and sliding the cupcakes in. The sun was fully setting, now fully gone but the sky still on fire. Rapunzel wanted to paint it on her wall, wanting to capture the beautiful sight of the reds and oranges and purples.  
The cupcakes were baked in fifteen minutes. It took about this long for the whole tower to smell wonderful. It also took this long for Varian to ask (and re-ask) the same questions about his surprise.

Finally, once they weren’t scalding hot, Rapunzel set to icing the cupcakes. It was Varian’s favorite part, but Rapunzel disagreed, telling him the best part of baking was eating the batter.

Varian, who seemed to love stacking things, had wanted to stack the cupcakes on top of each other. Rapunzel, ten years old and very sensible for her age (she thought), had managed to discourage him of that idea. Instead, they made tiny individual drawings on each cupcake, making different colors using the food dye their mother had brought back with her back in winter from a Christmas market she’d gone to. Varian made more simple designs-- sticking to monochromatic flowers and small birds. Rapunzel attempted making a rainbow (she’d never seen a rainbow, but had seen a drawing of one in one of her books and had wished since then to see a real rainbow).

The sun was gone, the sky was darkening, but it was still light enough that they didn’t need to light the candles yet.

When they were finally, finally done with the cupcakes-- albeit with their clothes covered in icing and some smeared on Rapunzel’s forehead and Varian’s cheek-- Rapunzel decided it was dark enough. She was excited all over again for her brother’s birthday surprise.

“Come on!” she said, grabbing his wrist and dragging him to the open window.

“What are you doing?” he asked, but still following along.

“It’s your surprise,” Rapunzel said, eyes wide and excited.

Varian’s mouth opened in a perfect ‘o’ shape.

“Now, I need you to stay here,” she told him seriously. “And keep your eyes closed. Trust me.”

Varian nodded. “Okay.”

Rapunzel patted his shoulders, making sure his eyes were closed before running up the staircase and throwing back the curtain. She reached under the bed, not even noticing the dust smearing on the sleeves of her dress, and pulled out the lanterns one by one and lined them up. She was really proud of her work and couldn’t wait to see Varian’s face when she surprised him with his very own lanterns.

Rapunzel piled the lanterns in her arms, careful to avoid wrinkling them. She set the lanterns in a basket tied to a rope before swinging her hair onto a ceiling beam. Rapunzel climbed it awkwardly, keeping an eye on Varian, still standing in front of the window, hands over his eyes. She hoisted herself on the beam and pulled the basket holding the lanterns up to her.

On the ceiling, there was a small round window that Rapunzel had wondered how would ever be opened when the latch was right next to the window. It had no practical use, at least until Rapunzel had started trying to climb to the window. Now, she planned to finally give the window some use.

Rapunzel pulled the window open, the breeze making the lantern in her hands shudder. She held on tighter as she knelt down and pulled out a box of matches she’d hidden on one beam. She lit the first lantern, her chest tight with anxiety, hoping and hoping it would float.

The lantern lit up and floated easily from Rapunzel’s hand. She gasped softly in amazement and guided the lantern to the window. The breeze was light and blew in the right direction-- they’d have the perfect view.

Rapunzel quickly lit all the lanterns except for two and sent them on their way in the deep navy sky. She slipped the box of matches in the pocket of her dress and climbed down as quickly as one could while holding two fragile paper lanterns in both arms and made her way to Varian, who was still standing with his hands covering his eyes.

“Can I open them now?” he asked.

Rapunzel smiled. “Yes,” she said, out of breath.

Varian immediately took his hands away from his eyes and looked around, for any change. His eyes landed on the two lanterns in Rapunzel’s hands and they grew wide.  
“Are those--” he began.

“Your early birthday present,” Rapunzel announced, handing him one lantern and pulling out the box of matches.

She struck a match and lit Varian’s lantern and then hers before blowing it out. She gripped her lantern tighter to avoid letting her lantern slip out of her fingers.  
“You want to send them up with the others?” she asked, looking up at the small lanterns floating slowly away from the tower.

“Others?” Varian asked, his gaze following Rapunzel’s. His mouth hung open before spreading in the happiest smile Rapunzel had ever seen.

“Happy birthday, Varian,” she said softly, launching her lantern in the air.

Varian lifted his more gently, watching it float breezily towards the other.

“You made me lanterns?” he asked her.

Rapunzel pulled Varian close to her. “I wanted you to get your own birthday lights,” she said.

Varian wrapped his arms around her waist. “Thank you,” he said, his eyes still fized on the lanterns. “It’s the best birthday present ever.”

Rapunzel laughed softly. “I'm glad you like it.”

They stayed at the window watching the lanterns until they vanished over the trees. Eventually, they both sat down on the floorboards when Varian complained about his legs hurting. The night grew darker, and colder. Rapunzel hadn’t brought any blankets, and so she and Varian had wrapped their arms around each other for warmth. She tucked her bare feet under her dress to keep them warm and pulled Varian closer when she felt him shiver slightly. Spring was close, but the nights still held the lingering traces of the bitter winter.

After a while, the lanterns-- now a pinprick of gold that could have been mistaken for a star if it didn’t glow a warm orange-- had fully disappeared.

“Do you think whatever sends your lights every year is seeing my lanterns?” Varian asked, still watching the horizon hopefully.

“Maybe. They would be confused, though,” Rapunzel reasoned. “They send the lights for me, so if they received your lanterns, it would confuse them.”

“Do you think whatever sends your lights is nice?” Varian asked sleepily. “They’re not ruffians with those pointy teeth who want to use our magic?”

Rapunzel shook her head. “No,” she said. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but it wasn’t her wishing it wasn’t the case, she just _knew_ it wasn’t the case. “They don’t want to hurt us.”

“We’re going to find where the lights come from one day, right?”

Rapunzel threaded her fingers through Varian’s hair, his face relaxing as he dozed. “Yes,” she said. “Both of us.”

“This is our secret,” Varian said, smiling. “It’s entirely ours.”

Rapunzel decided to move to the fireplace. She stood up, supporting a half asleep Varian against her and shut the window before guiding them to the empty fireplace. She didn’t want to go to bed yet, so she decided the armchair would work fine. She snuggled next to Varian and draped a warm blanket over the both of them. It was warm and comfortable, and Rapunzel was perfectly alright with falling asleep here.

She hummed a tune aimlessly, not choosing any particular song, as she kept playing with Varian’s hair. She twirled his blue streak around her finger and let it bounce back, slightly curled. Her eyes were beginning to droop when she was startled by a clap of thunder and the heavy downpour of rain. She glanced down at Varian, who was frowning slightly, but was still soundly asleep.

Rapunzel jumped when she heard the heavy wooden shutter creak open. She stoop up as slowly as she could to not wake Varian and grabbed the first thing she saw, a frying pan, before edging her way back to the window. The shutter was blown wide open, heavy sheets of rain pattering against the floorboards. On the sill sat a white snake big enough to make Rapunzel swallow back a surprised gasp. She raised the frying pan when she noticed the small green creature staring up at the snake in fear.  
Rapunzel furrowed her eyebrows. No one was hurting anyone tonight. She swung the pan and hit the snake hard enough to knock out a fang.

The snake turned its attention away from the tiny frog and hissed at Rapunzel. Almost instinctively, Rapunzel swung the pan again, effectively knocking the snake right out of the tower and into the storm outside. The winds had shifted, and the rain had stopped peltering the wooden floor.

She grinned happily and looked at the tiny frog only to see it collapse. She gasped when she finally noticed the bite mark and quickly wrapped a strand of her hair around the tiny little thing, hoping to save it before it was too late.

“ _Flower, gleam and glow_ ,” she began, her hair shimmering to life, her eyes slipping closed. “ _Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the Fate’s design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine_.”

She opened her eyes when she heard a stranged squeaking and saw the tiny frog wiggle out of her hair in fear.

Rapunzel crouched down in front of it. “Don’t be afraid, Mr. Frog,” she said. “You’re safe now.” She smiled brightly at him and stood back up, searching her pockets before finding a button. “Here. it’s yours.”

The tiny frog squeaked again and scrambled behind the window as she brought the purple button towards him.

“It’s a gift,” she told him and he peeked out of his hiding spot.

Rapunzel set the button on his head and giggled when the tiny frog turned the same shade as the button.

She reached her hand out and he jumped on it.

“No friends, huh?” she asked, a bit more sadly as he nodded. “Me either. It’s just me and my brother. Most of the time.”

She hesitated, then had an idea. “If you want, you can stay with us!” she told the frog. “Then neither of us will have no friends ever!”

The tiny frog squeaked in delight and jumped up her arm and nestled in the crook of her neck. She laughed at the tickling sensation-- that would take getting used to.  
“Varian will love you,” she told him, shutting the shutters once more, the downpour now finally over, the air still cold, but now slighlty damp.

She took one last look at the sky, now filled with smoky gray-blue clouds, hiding the full moon. She focused on the wishing star, and thanked it silently for granting her wish.

***

“Did you know there are over two hundred species of chameleons?” Varian asked, leafing through the book, _Strange Flora and Fauna_ , that their mother had brought back on one of her trips. Rapunzel was definitely listening to Varian, she was just focused on the chameleon who kept changing to match the color of whatever she handed him.

“He needs a name,” Varian said, having stopped reading to look at Rapunzel giving the chameleon objects like pots and fabrics and book covers to change to match.

“Oh!” Rapunzel said, dropping the tartan fabric. “You’re right! We can’t keep calling you Mr. Frog. You’re not even a frog.”

The chameleon squeaked questioningly.

“What about Joseph?” Varian asked. The chameleon squeaked in an offended manner. “Um… Tobias?”

The chameleon stuck out his tongue at Varian.

“Lucas?” Rapunzel tried.

This time, both Varian and the chameleon stuck their tongues out in disgust.

“Okay, so not Lucas,” Rapunzel said. “How about…” she frowned as she racked her brain for names. “Pascal?” she asked.

Varian blinked. “I like it,” he said. “It fits him.”

The chameleon squeaked happily, signalling his approval, and Rapunzel’s frown melted in a wide smile.

“Amazing!” she said. “We’re gonna have so much fun today, Pascal. Varian and I wanted to bake birthday cookies, and I was thinking you could--”

“Children!” Gothel’s voice sang out faintly. “I’m hooome!”

Varian and Rapunzel cringed and Pascal squeaked in confusion.

“What do we do?” Varian asked in a panic.

Rapunzel frowned. “We can’t let her see Pascal. She won’t let us keep him.”

“Pascal, hide under the bed,” Varian instructed, lifting up the edge of the covers for Pascal to crawl in. “don’t come out, okay?”

Rapunzel grabbed Varian’s sleeve and pulled him out of their room, the edge of the covers falling back in place, hiding Pascal from view.


	7. A Trip to the Attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rapunzel is 11 and varian is 7 and they find the attic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> important note: i really want to thank all of you for the comments you leave. i dont reply to them (because i have no idea how to reply but im just that socially inept) but i read them all and they're amazing. they're the highlight of my day. and i really just want to take the time to thank you guys for them. they're lovely and very much appreciated <3
> 
> and also, sorry for how long it took to update. a lot has happened and its been crazy and i feel angry and sad and a lot of things everyone else is probably feeling, too. but happy pride and if you go to protests, please take all the necessary precautions.

Varian was at the wonderful age of seven years where he wanted to explore everything, he wanted answers to his questions, and… he kept asking Rapunzel about the world outside. Rapunzel answered what she could. Of course, it was all she read, and not experienced, and Varian had, at one point, begun asking why they couldn’t just go down to the bottom. Rapunzel didn’t know. She did know his inquisitive nature would soon veer onto Gothel, who was the only one who ever saw the world.

Varian and Rapunzel had a geography book. It was an old thing that smelled of dusty paper and had a leather cover that was falling apart and was so faded the title was unintelligible. Their mother never specified how she had acquired the tome, but Rapunzel couldn’t care less. It had amazed her to see this old book, and the world it contained in its pages.

The book had been a birthday gift for Rapunzel when she’d been seven and had asked for a book with a map of the world. The book, however outdated, did contain a multitude of maps of the world, with the different kingdoms, and the names of rivers and mountain ranges and lakes and oceans. Rapunzel had no idea the world was that large. The book was, unfortunately in Latin, and Rapunzel couldn’t decipher the words beyond the legends of maps.

Earlier in the year, Gothel had finally agreed to getting Rapunzel a book to learn Latin, figuring that it would keep her daughter occupied, and therefore make the questions about the world beyond the tower stop. As the children grew older, it became harder to keep up convincing lies.

And for months afterwards, Rapunzel tried to teach herself Latin while trying to decipher her geography book. Of course, it was only a matter of time for Varian to get interested in why Rapunzel was filling pages with writings and scratched out lines. He’d asked what she was doing, and of course had wanted to learn Latin with her. Rapunzel knew she shouldn’t feel like she wanted to keep this to herself, but she was eleven and was often annoyed with Varian’s enthusiasm. She tried to ignore it, and include him instead of sending him off, but she wanted to have some of their shared interests to be her own. She mainly tried to ignore those feelings of frustration after asking her mother about it and being told to just ignore it until it goes away. Varian didn’t deserve her frustration. Not that she knew why she was even frustrated with him.

So, of course, she’d scooted over and told him to lay down on the floor beside her and ignored her growing frustration at all of Varian’s questions and comments.  
Weeks later, she had enough knowledge about Latin, with a little notebook filled with translation and notes about verb declension and sentence order to have a much better grasp of what the book read.

She was laying on her stomach in the middle of their bedroom, her Latin book sitting just above the open geography book laid before her eyes. She’d tucked a pencil behind her ear for easy access and her messy notes in a semi circle around the books.

The geography book, once she could decipher more than the map legends, was full of information and descriptions that amazed Rapunzel. Knowing about rain and rainbows and snow was wonderful, but seeing a map of the world with the name of rivers and mountains and kingdoms was mind baffling. And even having a little bit of information about early tribes and civilizations that were only briefly explained was more than Rapunzel had ever learned in eleven years.

She briefly looked up yearningly towards the window in the bedroom, looking at the blue sky, the white clouds, the waterfall. That was all she and Varian had ever known. Rapunzel wished and wished to go out there and experience the world, but there was always the terrible fear of the creatures that inhabited it. Ruthless monsters and ruffians who would do anything to get their hands on magic like hers and Varian’s.

A tiny questioning squeak startled her out of her reverie. She looked down at Pascal, who was looking inquisitively at her, almost asking if she was alright.  
Rapunzel smiled, but she didn’t really feel it. “I’m fine, Pascal. Really.”

He gave her a look of disbelief and she sighed.

“Okay, fine,” she conceded. “I wish I could go out there and explore the world and see all the wonderful things i read about.” She rested her chin in her palm and blew strands of hair from her face. “I want to see a river. I want to go to the sea and feel the sand, and I want to go pick flowers in an endless wildflower field, and I want to see snow. Snow, Pascal! It’s freezing, but from here it looks so inviting and fun to play in.” Rapunzel closed her eyes. “It’s ridiculous, though. Mother tells me it’s not really as impressive. She even calls nature boring and unimpressive and dangerous. I just want to find out for myself.”

And that was selfish of her. Her mother kept her and Varian safe and loved and Rapunzel wanted to leave. A lump formed in her throat. She heard a squeak and saw Pascal curl against her closed fist.

She smiled, willing the hot prickling at the corners of her eyes away. “I’m really glad you showed up here, Pascal. I’ve always wanted a best friend.”

The closed curtain that separated the bedroom from the rest of the tower was yanked away so suddenly it made Rapunzel jump, her heart seizing in her chest.

“Rapunzel!” Varian yelled.

She exhaled, calming herself.

“What is it?” she asked, rolling onto her side and leaning on her elbow to look at her brother.

“Mother’s asked for you,” he panted.

And here Rapunzel had finally found a comfortable position. She stood up and followed Varian to the kitchen. Pascal remained in the bedroom, out of sight. It was best. Their mother had shut down any conversation about having pets or friends, so Pascal was defying both of those at the same time and Rapunzel feared her mother would force him out.

“Ah, there you are Rapunzel, dear,” her mother emerged from her room, patting Rapunzel’s head and pinching Varian’s cheek in passing.

“What is it, Mother?” Rapunzel asked, following her and throwing Varian a sympathetic glance as he rubbed his cheek with a frown.

Gothel swept her coat off the back of the armchair. “I’ll be going out, since we need more food,” she said.

Rapunzel nodded and made her way into the kitchen. When their mother left, it was up to Rapunzel to fill up her basket with something to eat and Varian was to get other useful supplies from the washroom.

“Mother?” Rapunzel called from the kitchen.

“Yes, flower?” Gothel replied, from where she was looking at herself in the mirror.

“Could you-- um…” she trailed away timidly. “I’d like--”

“Ugh, Rapunzel _please_ , we _talked_ about this,” Gothel spit out, spinning around to frown at Rapunzel. “I’m tired of telling you time and time again to stop mumbling. It’s very unbecoming and I cannot understand you. You know I hate repeating myself.”

Rapunzel looked down. “I’m sorry, Mother.”

“Oh, my flower,” Gothel said, turning her attention back to the mirror. “Don’t look so glum. I’m only saying these things for your own good, you know.”  
“Yes, Mother,” Rapunzel replied, going back to her task.

“Now, what was it you wanted to ask, dear?”

Rapunzel cleared her throat. “Could you please buy me some more paint, please? The beeswax paints.”

Gothel always brought Rapunzel paint and Varian books when they asked, and over the years Rapunzel had gained a certain knowledge about the paint Gothel brought back. The beeswax paint was usually bright, like the one made from plant dyes whereas the paint made from seashells was more pastel, and was much more expensive.  
Varian came out of the washroom and Rapunzel moved the basket from the kitchen counter to the table so that Varian could place the supplies in it.

“All right,” Gothel sighed, meeting Rapunzel’s eye in the mirror. “And you, Varian? Would you like anything at all?”

Varian looked up in surprise. “Um… new books?” he asked hopefully, a slight lisp in his voice, having lost his front tooth recently. “Adventure books.” he finished with certainty.

Gothel smiled. “Very well.”

She turned away from the mirror and went right for the window. Varian handed her the basket and Rapunzel threw her hair on the hook above the window and threw the rest over the side.

Gothel kissed Varian’s head, then kissed Rapunzel’s. “Goodbye, my dears,” she said, stepping onto the sill.

They chorused a goodbye and Gothel began climbing down, both Varian and Rapunzel holding onto her hair.

When she made it to the bottom, Rapunzel went to the window and watched her walk away, right before disappearing from view.

“I found something,” Varian said from right next to Rapunzel.

She jumped with a surprised squeak. “Varian!” she hissed.

“Sorry,” he said, his tone not matching his words.

“What did you find, Varian?” Rapunzel asked, half annoyed, half intrigued.

He grinned, showing his three missing teeth. “I found it last night,” he said, a mischievous glint in his pale blue eyes. “In Mother’s room,” he whispered.

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. “Varian!” she cast a nervous glance outside, but all she saw was her blond hair fluttering in the breeze. “We’re not supposed to go in there!”

“I didn’t!” Varian said, raising his hands in surrender. “I just saw Mother pull down a trapdoor that led into some sort of secret tower! Last night.”

Rapunzel blinked. “What?” she asked, not sure she heard right.

Varian huffed in exasperation. “It’s easier if I just showed you.” he grabbed her hand and tried to drag her to their Mother’s room.

Rapunzel pulled her hand away with some struggle-- he had quite a determined grip for a seven year old.

“No!” she said. “We can’t go in Mother’s room! _Especially_ to some secret room.”

Varian looked at her with a confused look. “But… why not?” he asked.

Rapunzel wanted to stomp her foot. “Because!” she said.

“Because what?” Varian asked, genuinely curious for an answer.

Rapunzel felt heat climb up her neck and to her cheeks. “Because… Mother told us to _never_ go in her room. That’s why!”

“Why not?” Varian cocked his head to the side.

Rapunzel opened her mouth for a good three seconds, hoping sounds that made sense would come out, but she came up empty. Why couldn’t Varian understand that making their Mother angry was a bad idea?

“Do you _want_ to make Mother mad?” she retaliated.

“But she’s not here.”

“I--” Rapunzel didn’t finish, not sure if she was more frustrated or angry.

“So can we go?” Varian asked.

Rapunzel sighed, not seeing how she could get out of this without making Varian cry. She loved her brother, but she still was awkward when dealing with making him cry. She just wanted to be left alone, she thought bitterly as she followed Varian reluctantly. If he could leave her be for even a day, then maybe she wouldn’t be constantly frustrated with him for no reason.

Rapunzel timidly leant against the wall right next to the door, warily watching Varian stride confidently inside.

“Where’s the trapdoor?” she asked, trying hard to keep her annoyance out of her voice.

She felt something climb up her arm and glanced over to see Pascal settle on her shoulder. She smiled at him. The first few times he did that had her jumping and screaming, but by now it barely fazed her.

“Here,” Varian said.

Rapunzel looked up to see him standing next to a sort of tapestry hanging from the wall perpendicular to the wall she leant against. It was mainly dark blues and faded greens and red, but depicted scenes from some sort of local folklore, with mythological creatures and humans playing instruments or sitting against the single tree.  
“Doesn’t the tree feel lonely?” Rapunzel had once asked Gothel on one of the rare nights where she allowed Rapunzel to sleep in her room.

Gothel had simply laughed, passing the hairbrush once again through her hair. “Why would the tree be lonely, my flower? It has no feelings.”

Rapunzel had still felt sad, how there had been no other tree in the tapestry except for that one.

“That’s a tapestry, Varian,” Rapunzel said flatly.

Pascal squeaked disapprovingly from her shoulder.

“Well duh,” Varian said. “It’s _behind_ the curtain.”

“Tapes-- okay, nevermind.”

Varian practically yanked the tapestry away and Rapunzel moved before her brain registered.

“What are you doing?” she almost yelled, taking hold of the tapestry gently. “It’s fragile!”

“But look!” Varian said, almost desperately.

Rapunzel cast a glance to where Varian was gesturing and fell short at the wooden door. “Oh,” she said, lips numb.

“Yeah!” Varian said, bouncing on his feet, full of nervous energy.

Rapunzel tentatively rested a hand against the rough wooden surface before letting it slide down to the rusted iron handle and twisting. The door opened on squeaky hinges, but wasn’t locked. This almost felt like a taunt to Rapunzel. She was almost knocked into it as Varian rushed past her up the dusty stone steps and she followed after him.

The steps were cold against her bare feet, as was the air, making her shiver, Pascal shivering lightly, curled up against the crook of her neck. The dust she and Varian were kicking up made her nose itchy and had made her sneeze twice now. She reached the landing and barely held back a sigh when her feet came in contact with warm wooden floorboards as she looked around.

This was indeed as Varian had said, a tower of sorts. Rapunzel had mixed feelings about finding this tower only now after eleven years in this tower. The circular room was mainly filled with shapeless furniture covered by dusty white sheets and cobwebs. There was a single table, in the center of the room, that was not covered by a white sheet, and Varian was ogling at the objects covering it. The only source of light in the entire room was a circular window covered in so much grime only a few beams of sunlight filtered through.

She approached Varian and peered over his shoulder. She was surprised at the vials and sets of colorful liquids, some smoking, some emitting bubbles, with papers and books sitting open, complicated equations and things Rapunzel had never seen before covering the pages. The books were as old as her geography textbook, about ready to fall apart or explode into dust as the slightest touch.

“What is this?” Rapunzel whispered.

“Amazing,” Varian replied, sounding as starstruck as he looked.

Rapunzel gingerly closed one of the books and dusted the cover to read the stenciled cover.

“Alchemy,” she read. “Huh. I read about that, but I thought it was only myths.”

Varian grabbed the book from her hands and flipped through it. “This is amazing!” he exclaimed.

Rapunzel turned her attention back to the tower. “It is,” she said in awe. “But what are we gonna do with it?”

Varian paused and looked at her, almost pleadingly. “I can’t leave this here. This is amazing.”

Rapunzel bit her lip. “What if Mother found out?” she asked. “If we take stuff, or tell her about it, she’ll know we were here.”

Varian flinched. “Yeah,” he muttered dejectedly.

Rapunzel hated that look in his eyes. “I-- I don’t think she’d notice if you took a few books.”

And just like that, Varian was excited again. “Really?” he almost screamed, making Rapunzel cringe.

“Yes,” she said. “Just don’t destroy my eardrums in the process.”

“Sorry!” he called, already looking over the books, trying to decide which ones to take back downstairs.

“This is a really strange place,” Rapunzel mused. “Why would Mother hide this from us?”

Varian paused, but shrugged it off, though Rapunzel saw how his shoulders remained tense.

When he was satisfied-- and after Rapunzel’s urging-- they finally rushed back down the stairs. Rapunzel shut the door quickly, letting the tapestry fall back in place.  
She turned to Varian, catching his sleeve before she rushed off, and turned him to face her. She knelt before him, and his excited attitude became serious. When Rapunzel knelt to tell him something, he knew it was really serious.

“Varian,” she said, eyebrows. “We _cannot_ tell Mother about this, okay? You have to read those books in our room and keep them hidden, okay?”

Varian nodded and Rapunzel sighed, letting her head hang limply. She looked up when she felt her brother’s arms wrap around her.

“Don’t be sad,” he said. “It’s okay.”

Rapunzel smiled, wrapping her arms around him. She knew he didn’t know why she was sad, but it was okay. He would always seek to cheer her up. It was how they worked. They sought to cheer each other up, and she liked it just like that.

“Are you gonna paint in the room with me?” he asked her.

She smiled. “Nah. Me and Pascal still need to read half that Latin book.”

She got off the floor and led Varian back to their room, his hand tightly clasped in hers, Pascal settling now on Varian’s shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have watched newsies (broadway version obviously) nine times this past week and a half. guys. i know the dialogue by heart at this point


End file.
